The continuity of psychiatric symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood

This study evaluated the continuity of psychiatric symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood. The study sample consisted of 121 young adults born in 1975-76 in the region of Helsinki. The young adults were assessed in adolescence (age 14 to 15 years) with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Youth Self Report (YSR) and at the age of 20 to 21 years with the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The results showed that the self-reported psychiatric symptoms in adolescence significantly predicted the psychiatric symptoms of young adulthood. The internalizing symptoms were stronger predictors than the externalizing symptoms. The associations between the symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood were stronger for girls than for boys; the self-reported symptoms were stronger predictors than the parent-reported symptoms. It was concluded that especially the internalizing symptoms reported by adolescents themselves should not be regarded as normative but should be addressed and treated.